When the Music's Over
by Rockhardglitter
Summary: *Updated, Chap 2 now up!*Set after Season 4. Spike is alive, Angel and gang owns Wolfram and Hart, and Cordelia wakes up out of her coma. The more things happen, the more they change. This will be a shipper fic, eventually! Please Read and Review!
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimers: Not mine, never were just playing with Joss's sandbox cause I can cause it's fun. Heh. If I was getting paid, I'd be doing something else, like maybe try to make my own show. But I'm not so I'll mess with his. ;) 

  


Archiving: Yes, yes, yes! You can have this story and all my others if you'd like. Just tell me where it's going first ok?

  


Violence: Minimal Angel style violence.

  


Pairings: Ah ship pairings. Yes, I'll ship thank you. Spike/Cordelia as always ;) Fred/Wesley 

  


Season: Takes place after Angel's last episode, before the new season. I'm so eager to watch it. 

  


Feedback: Please! If you're in my Spike group, reply there, and if not you can reach me here: Xena@compuage.com 

  


When the Music's Over

By: Leather

  


I. Cordelia

She remembers pain. The pain of childbirth, of the demon that had invaded her mind and made her it's host for the time she was pregnant. She remembers, in clear moments her confusion. She remembers using Connor, so quick to hate Angel. She remembers the look on Angel's face when he must have found her and Connor together in his son's bed.

  


And now there's darkness. After the baby was born, she doesn't remember much. Her mind plays tricks on her, and she thinks she's Queen C again. She is talking to Harmony, discussing Armani wear, and what's new. She knows this isn't right. This is wrong.

  


((Are we in love?))

  


Angel's voice comes to her mind, and she blinks, struggling to pull herself out of the vacuum she was in. She can't. It's like one long black tunnel. Help! Pound on the ceiling. Let them hear you. I'm not dead! I'm still here! Still alive. Angel, save me! But she couldn't say that. Couldn't move. Couldn't think.

  


Couldn't say sorry. So many couldn'ts. Cordelia whimpered, or in her mind she did. She was desperately trying to kick to the surface, to come back.

  


((let me out, let me out!!))

  


And then....

  


"Angel!" Fred's voice came down the stairs. "Angel! Angel, something's happening to Cordelia!" Angel heard Fred's voice, shot out of his chair almost knocking it over and raced to the upstairs room where Cordelia's comatose body was located. He was at her side in moments. 

  


"Cordelia?" Angel asked. Something was going on. He could tell. She was struggling, her face contorting and finally her eyes opened, and she gasped.

  


"Angel!" Cordelia gasped, sitting upright. Then she began to cry.

  


But Angel was there, holding her in his arms.

****

"Cordy's up?" Gunn asked as Fred was eagerly telling him what was going on. Fred nodded, her hands in her pockets. "Yeah. She was...it was like she was fighting something and then–boom. She's all awake again!"

  


"Isn't that the best?" Lorne asked with a smile. "Princess is back. Ya know, for a while there I was sure she wouldn't pull out of it."

  


Fred nodded. "So was Angel. He's been at her bedside ever since.."

  


"World changed?" Gunn asked. "Since we became the bitches of Wolfram and Hart?" 

  


Fred nodded.

  


Lorne shook his head. "How do you think that's gonna work out? Us owning Former Zombies R Us?" he questioned. "That White Room place gives me the heebee jeebies." He told her. "You guys can have the cleaning it out fun if you want."

  


Fred smiled a little. "Right." She said. "I just don't want Lilah's office."

  


"Don't blame you."

  


"Don't worry." On cue, Wesley walked in. "I'll be taking over Lilah's office."

  


((Just like you were in her bed?)) Fred pushed her thoughts away and smiled a bit at Wesley, seeing Gunn scowl at her. She shrugged to herself and went to the desk, saying something about getting a book.

  


"What's going on?" Wesley asked, laying down a box of weapons onto the table for the gang. "I heard someone screaming when I walked up."

  


"Cordelia woke up." Lorne said. 

  


"Oh?" Wesley turned. "How is she?"

"We don't know yet." Fred sat the book down. "Angel is with her. He'll tell us soon." The Angel Investigations team. She nodded hopefully. The gang sat down and kind of looked at each other.

  


"We could play Hangman." Lorne suggested. "Or ooh!" He said and got up. "There's one of those washable boards, and we can play–"

  


"Hey guys." Angel intercepted the green karokie loving demon. He looked all shiny and happy. He smiled at them, a real smile and real Angel smiles came few and far in between. 

  


"How is she?" Fred asked, eager to know. 

  


"She's...confused." Angel said. "At best. She's weak, very." He frowned. "I wanted to take her to the hospital, but Cordelia said to wait. She wanted time to get adjusted, so I am but I'm going to take her to make sure there were no–brain injuries."

  


Fred nodded. "Can we see her? Is she up to the us seeing her? Or is it too much?"

  


Angel looked at Fred. "Right now, it is." He said. "I mean...nothing personal on you guys, she loves you, but Cordelia...."

  


Lorne placed a hand on Angel's shoulder. "Tell sweet cheeks we understand, and when she's ready to see us, she can tell us." he said. Gunn nodded his agreement and Wesley looked thoughtful. Angel smiled at them all. "Thanks, guys." he said. "I'm going to make Cordelia something to eat. Um...what do you serve people who just come out of a coma?"

  


"Jell-O?" Asked Lorne with a shrug.

  


Fred shook her head. "Cordy needs more than Jell-O, Lorne. She's been in a coma for a while. Start with some soup and bread." She advised Angel and went into the kitchen to help him. "That will be filling and not too much on her stomach."

  


"Right."

  


Angel watched Fred help him prepare a meal for Cordelia, then load it all up on a tray as she handed it to him. "Water first." She said. "Other beverages can come later." She shooed Angel up the stairs. Angel took the food for Cordy and knocked on her door. A moment later, her timid voice replied "Come in."

  


Cordelia was sitting up in her bed, her hair a bit longer, and still dark brown. She smiled timidly at Angel as he walked inside.

  


"Hungry?"

  


"Famished." Cordelia agreed as Angel sat the food down on her lap, propping the tray's legs out for her conveince. "I hope it's ok, Fred said bread and soup would be ok for right now."

  


"It's fine." Cordelia took a deep breath. "Um." She said as she grabbed a spoon and dipped it into the bowl, scooping some up and taking a bite. "Thanks, Angel." She looked up at him almost shyly, and for a moment Angel longed for Queen C.

  


Angel nodded. "Do you..want anything else?" He asked her. "Blanket?" He reached behind Cordelia and started to fluff her pillow.

  


Cordelia smiled. "No, Angel I'm fine." Her voice was scratchy from not being used in a long while. "No, it's really ok." She assured the nervous vampire.

  


Angel smiled. "Right. It's ok. You're back. The real you." He added. Cordelia winced, and so did Angel.

  


((Open mouth, insert foot))

  


"I.."

  


Cordelia shook her head. "Don't." She told him. "It's my fault, I accept the blame of what happened." She took a bite of the bread, dipping it in the soup and sticking it in her mouth, chewing. She swallowed before speaking. "It's Ok Angel."

  


Angel nodded. "Well." he said. "I'll let you eat." Cordelia nodded, watching Angel leave. She sighed to herself, taking in a few more spoonfuls of soup, eating some more bread. She took a drink of the water and looked around her.

  


"I'm home." She said, closing her eyes. It had been a hard day. But she had made it. She was back, where she belonged.

  
  
  
  



	2. Chapter TwoSpike

Part Two

  


Author's Note: I tried to be humorous in some parts of this, espically the Spike and Angel interactions. If I fail, well then I know to stick to the angst. LOL. 

  


II. Spike

He dreamt. He dreamt of her, and her long blonde hair and blue eyes that always seemed to sparkle wickedly when she was slaying...and doing other, more enjoyable things.

  


To him.

  


He saw her face when she realized what was going to happen back there in the school, that he was going to die. He saw the words before they came out of her mouth, and he knew she didn't mean them. As nice as they sounded, as much as he wanted to hear them, she didn't mean it.

  


((I love you.))

  


((No you don't, but thanks for saying it.))

  


He decided to get up. Spike sat up, blinking. Downstairs there was noise–the sound of Fred making morning coffee, of Gunn turning on the tv, he could even hear Wesley down there, turning pages in those books. One wouldn't think that flipping pages made a sound, but when you were a vampire, the tiniest sound became magnified.

  


Like breathing.

  


Spike used to lay awake listening to Buffy breath. For some reason, it made him feel real, made him feel like he was connected....to....something. He felt the sudden pain of his death, wincing. That had been an experience Spike could have gladly lived without. So the old poofter was right when he said one day on Earth registered to a thousand years in hell. Time flew by when you were being punished.

  


The last sounds he heard where the sounds being made by Cordelia. She rose earlier, but she stayed inside her room while the others were downstairs, peddling away in their boring life. Spike tilted his head, listening to her. She was brushing her hair, perhaps doing her make up. He could smell the perfume she was wearing. It intriqued him. She intriqued him, that this once brainless creature, friend of Harmony had changed so much.

  


Plus, she was nice to look at.

  


And better company than Angel.

  


So she had some things going for her. He'd heard the story–bits and pieces of it, enough to understand what had gone on. Some evil demon thing had took over her body, made her do things she normally wouldn't have done.

  


He understood. Just as his soul had taken over him, made him fall in love with the one woman he should never develop feelings for.

  


Souls and demons, were there a difference really? Spike didn't think so. Spike was always the last to rise, the last to bed. Angel got up first, pittering around and checking things, setting the office up. Fred was always next. Gunn reluctantly came to life, followed by the new and improved Watcher Boy Wesley. 

  


It was nine o clock. Spike walked downstairs, bleary eyed, yawning and running smack into Fred.

  


"Jesus woman, watch where you're going." Spike mumbled and took a seat on the round couch. Fred sighed impatiently, readied her cup of coffee and asked him if he wanted one.

  


"Coffee?" Spike looked at her like she was crazy. "What for?"

  


"To get woke up?"

  


Spike shook his head. "No thanks. Pass." He said and yawned, contemplating falling asleep on the couch but knew that wouldn't make Nancy any happy. Like Nancy was ever happy. Spike thought with a snort. He sighed to himself, his steel toes kicking the couch.

  


"Spike, don't do that." Angel said with a frown, walking in. "You'll ruin the upholstery." Spike almost burst out laughing. _Gods. _Angel sounded so...domesticated!!! 

  


"Oh." Spike said waving a hand. "Forgive me Your Poofness. Wouldn't want to ruin the royal upholstery." He paused, frowning. "What's upholstery?"

  


Angel dead panned and pointed to underneath the couch, where Spike had been kicking his heels. "That. See? Look, black marks from those boots." He took the newspaper he read in the mornings and swatted Spike hard with it. 

  


Spike laughed. "You're a woman Angel, you know that? Only women tend to worry 'bout stuff like...what was the word? Upholstery?"

  


Gunn looked slightly amused by the whole conversation. Spike seemed to get under Angel's skin. Gunn noted. It often resulted in hillarious after affects. Except getting bailed out of jail. That hadn't been too fun. Stupid vampire had talked Gunn into taking him to a casino while they went past Las Vegas for a mission, and he had played Blackjack. Spike kept swearing the Blackjack dealer was cheating him, cause he never lost at Blackjack. Gunn told him to come on, they were going to be late but of course Spike waved him off.

  


Turned out the Blackjack dealer *had* been cheating Spike. Spike had started a fight with the Blackjack dealer, and they'd ended up getting kicked out. One drunk vampire wasn't going to say sorry. He'd went back in there and him and Gunn had been escorted out by police.

  


Angel hadn't been too happy.

  


And that was the last time Gunn went anywhere with Spike.

  


And bedlam had broken out. The vampire seemed to enjoy the bedlam he had caused.

  


And that had been in the first week Spike had been here. But he wasn't all bad. If you weren't Angel that was. He was a good fighter, strong and seemed to make do with what was around him. Gunn could appreciate that.

  


"Charles?"

  


Fred's voice cut into his thoughts. He turned to her. "Yeah baby?" he asked, giving her a soft smile while Spike, who was watching them made gagging noises.

  


"I was asking you about the Morris case." Fred replied. "What was it again? Exterminator problem?"

  


Gunn nodded. "Exterminator problem of the other world kind." He said. "Lady found a nest of demon eggs in her basement. Should be pretty easy to take care of." Fred bobbed her head. "Oh you Angel and Spike can handle that, surely."

  


"Oh surely we can." Spike drawled, imitating Fred. Angel glared and counted to ten. Ever since Spike had been here, he'd been getting migraines more often. Cordelia told him Spike knew he was pestering Angel. If he just acted like he didn't bother him, Spike would leave him alone.

  


Angel had learned the hard way ignoring Spike never made anything better.

  


If anything, it made it worse. Spike was like a child with the constant need for attention. He had the span of a three year old.

  


"Well." Spike rose. "Shall we get into the Nancy Mobile to start another day of saving innocent, helpless victims?"

  


"It's daylight." Angel said dryly.

  


"What? You're just going to let *daylight* stop you? Oh dear. And I thought Angel was the Champion!" Spike cried out, pretending to be shocked. Angel glared, hands balling into fists. Just one little punch. Ok, maybe not so little. But it would make him feel a hell of a lot better!

  


"Spike." Angel growled.

  


About that time, Cordelia walked downstairs. "Hi guys." She said shyly. Tucking a strand of her now dark hair behind her ears. "What's going on?" She asked. Cordelia was wearing a red long sleeved mid riff and a pair of jeans.

  


Spike and Angel both turned, eyes on the seer. This was interesting. Fred wondered if they both knew they were in love with the same woman.

  


Well, Angel was still in love with Cordelia.

  


She was almost sure that Spike was *starting* to fall in love with her as well, or else Fred was making too much of this.

  


But it sure was fun, anyhow. "Hey Cordelia." Fred greeted with a big smile. She was still all nervous like around her. "We're just talking about the Morris case." She said.

  


"Oh. Lady who never cleans up her basement?"

  


"That'd be her. Wanna join me and Gunn for some rousing demon fun?"

  


Gunn arched a brow. "We're going?" He asked Fred. "But I thought–"

  


"We're going." Fred said firmly. She wanted to be Cordelia's friend again. She wanted to trust her, to tell her it was Ok.

  


"So we're going." Agreed Gunn.

  


"Oh. And the new team of Super Friends are ready again." Spike muttered from the couch, where he had continued to kick the upholstery, making Angel's upper eye twitch spasmodically. Angel eyed his childe. "Well if you don't like it you can always...leave..." Angel said hoping this would happen. He didn't know how much longer he'd be able to put up with Spike!!!

  


"Nah." Spike stopped kicking and looked up. "I rather like it here, Angel. I like to torment you." he said with a wink at his sire, and rose. "But as much fun as that is it does get boring here." he told him. Cordelia looked at him, went to the weapon's cabniet and handed Spike an axe. "Good then you can come with me, Fred and Gunn."

  


Spike just stared at her. And shrugged. "Might as well."

****

"Lady never said anything about her basement being huge." Grumbled Gunn as the trio made their way to Morrison's basement. Fred nodded. "I know...just where is this demon thing hiding at, anyhow?" Asked the former librarian, gripping her sword.

  


"My guess is the darkest area." Cordelia said. This was her chance to get back in the game, to get her friends back as well. She knew that Gunn and Fred still were wary of her, they remembered the evil Cordelia who even knocked down Queen C. But it hadn't been *her*. Couldn't they understand this?

  


"Ah." Spike said, his senses honing in on an object in the far corner. "There it is." He pointed it out. Sure enough, a demon with tentacles was hiding in the corner. Noises came out of it, as well as a foul stench. Spike made a face. "So you all always get the smelly asignments and Angel gets the hero gigs?" He asked fanning the air in front of him.

  


"Pretty much." Said Gunn.

  


"I'd ask for a refund." Spike said, causing Cordelia to chuckle. She ended up liking Spike. He was humorous and kept doing Angel impressions on their way to the Morrison case. It had been amusing. She couldn't help but laugh.

  


"So heads or tails?"

  


"I'd say tails!" Gunn exclaimed as the monster-demon sprung to life, seeing them.. It roared, and stumbled towards them. A tentacle reached out and wrapped around Gunn, lifting him high in the air. "Little help here?"

  


"Sure thing!" Fred rushed forward and raised her sword a bit awkwardly, slicing down on a tentacle. The monster roared this time in pain, but didn't release it's hold on Gunn. It just grew a longer tentacle.

  


"Oh." Cordelia said. "This is going to be fun." She was being sarcastic, of course.

  


Spike grinned. "Oh but it can be." He said. "You can't kill it–not in the usual way or else those legs of it are gonna keep growing back." He turned to her. "We've got to get it's heart."

  


"Someone help!" Gunn was being waved in the air, and feeling a little sick to his stomach. Just then, the demon made a gurgling sound and Gunn was doused with demon slime. Sticky, smelly demon slime.

  


Gunn cringed. "Oh man Angel *does not* pay enough for this!"

  


"And where would the heart be?" Cordelia asked, turning to him. "Since you seem to know it all, that is."

  


Spike shrugged. "Only one way to find out." With a feral grin, he charged towards the monster, jumping on one of the tentacles. "Hey ugly! Where's your heart?"

  


The demon-monster answered by flinging Spike off him, sending the vampire propelling in the air. Cordelia smirked. "Yeah, that worked real well. You know what I find works with demons? Killing them."

  


Spike froze. He stared at Cordelia for a long moment, stunned. He had once uttered that exact phrase–well, minus the demon part to Buffy.

  


((You know what I find works with Slayers? Killing them...))

  


It was as though she had read his mind. The vampire felt a shiver run through him. 

  


"Yeah, killing them works great, so chop to it!" Gunn yelled. He was still in the grip of the monster, squriming and eyeing his weapon, which wasn't very far. Just a little bit closer...he silently willed the demon to move that way. Gunn tried to move, and was almost there....

  


Spike picked himself back up, grabbed Cordy's axe and charged towards the demon. He sliced the axe towards the demon's belly, cutting it. It made a sound, and dropped Gunn. Gunn made a mad dash for his weapon, grabbing it and rushing back towards the demon.

  


"So where's it's heart?" Gunn asked.

  


"See that little spot below the eye?" Spike pointed it out. "That'd be my guess." He moved a step back and then lifted his arm to toss the axe there. He missed.

  


"Well...so much for that theory." Said Spike as nothing seemed to happen. Suddenly, the demon made a gurgling sound, and it started to squirm. The gang stopped, watching.

  


"What's going on?"

  


"I don't know." Spike's eyes were on the demon. He frowned. The demon seemed to raise. And raise.

"It's gonna explode!" Spike yelled. "Come on!" He started moving for the door. Too late. There was a loud popping sound and the demon burst into bits, which showered down on the Angel Investigation crew.

  


"Ewww!" Cordelia shouted as she and Fred were both covered in demon bits, slime and probably other things they were better off not knowing what it was. "This is just..."

  


"Ew?" Asked Fred, whiping her face. "I think we need to charge Mrs. Morrison extra. Who's with me?"

  


"Aye." Said Cordelia, Gunn and Spike. Spike made a face. "And then I say we go to Captain Poofter and demand a raise for this."

  


"Sounds good to me." Cordelia lead the way up the stairs, shaking demon goo off her. She was smiling though, even covered in the gunk. She was home....really home. Fred looked over at Cordelia.

  


"Welcome back." She told her with warmth, meaning it.

  
  
  



End file.
